How massage can help an injured dog

ONE OF MY FIRST DOG MASSAGES CASES WAS ONE OF MY MOST REWARDING. MIDNIGHT, A RESCUE FROM HOUSTON TX WAS FOUND WANDERING THE STREETS WITH A SUBSTANTIAL INJURY AND SURRENDERED TO A VET. HER CURRENT GUARDIANS INITIALLY FOSTERED AND THEN ADOPTED HER. IT IS THOUGHT MIDNIGHT WAS HIT BY A CAR BECAUSE HER ENTIRE LEFT SIDE IS STRUCTURALLY IMBALANCED AND SHE COMPENSATES FOR THE INJURY BY PRIMARILY USING HER RIGHT SIDE. I COULD NOT GET NEAR HER TO PET HER WHEN I WOULD SEE HER WITH HER OWNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BUT ONCE HER GUARDIAN INVITED ME INTO HER HOME IN A QUIET SETTING TO WORK ON HER, SHE OFFERED HERSELF TO ME KNOWING I WAS THERE TO ATTEMPT TO BRING COMFORT. SOMETIMES MIDNIGHT PRESENTED HER INJURED SIDE TO ME BUT MOST TIMES THE UNINJURED SIDE, THE SIDE SHE USED THE MOST, I LET HER GUIDE ME. OVER THE COURSE OF 6 WEEKS, ONCE A WEEK, I PROVIDED COMPENSATORY MASSAGE TO INCREASE BLOOD CIRCULATION FOR MUSCLE HEALTH. MY WELLNESS APPROACH INCLUDED GENTLE ACUPRESSURE ON GOOD SIDE TO PREVENT FURTHER INJURIES AND THERAPEUTIC STROKES TO CALM AND BUILD TRUST.